Friday, January 21, 2011

Valley Swat- Pakistan
Photo by AamerJaved


Photo by AamerJaved


Swat Valley is a beautiful piece of paradise, it is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty that used to be popular with tourists as “the Switzerland of Pakistan”.

The Fairy Meadows – Pakistan
Photo by Ch. Khawar


Photo by jonmartin ()


The Fairy Meadows is a lush green plateau in foot gin of Nanga Parbat peak, Pakistan. It is the best place to view the majestic beauty of Nanga Parbat. Willy Merkl, the leader of the 1932 German-American expedition, named it Fairy Meadow due to its wonderful scenery.

Baltoro Glacier – Pakistan
Photo by Robert Dumas

Photo by ivpavlov

The Baltoro Glacier, at over 70km long, is one of the longest in the world and continually flanked by huge rock spires. At its source at Concordia lie some of the tallest mountains in the world. It’s dangerous beauty can’t be overestimated, the scenery is amazing.

Amazon Rainforest – Amazon Basin, South America

Amazon Basin

Amazon Rainforest

Amazon rainforest is the thickest rainforest that spans over a billion acres and encompasses areas in Brazil (60%), Peru (13%), Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Bolivia, French Guiana and Suriname. The concentration of wildlife is very high and new species or subspecies of existing species continues to be discovered almost all the time. The majestic beauty and timelessness of this awe-inspiring tropical rainforest is indescribable in words and should be experienced.

Sognafjord (Sogne Fjord) – Norway


Ferry on the Fjord

Naeroyfjord Narrowest Fjord

Norway Fjord Scenic with Ferry

The second longest fjord (an inset of the sea between steep slopes) in the world and the largest in Norway, the magnificence of this has to be experienced for the magnitude to be understood. Reaching to more than 1,300 meters below sea level and above 2,000 meters above sea level, the sparkling water, the beautiful cliff faces and the picturesque villages make this a must visit place for nature lovers.


The Himalayas – Asia

Mount Everest

Mount Everest

Mount Everest

North Face Mt Everest

This spectacle of awesome dimensions …the 3000 kilometer long towering mountain range with tiers of rock, ranges upon ranges, sky scraping peaks and canyons, is the planet’s highest mountain system and includes the world’s highest peaks; Mount Everest and K2. It stretches through Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan. This is where earth meets the sky!

Yosemite Valley – California

Hazey Yosemite Valley

Valley from Valley

Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley

The incomparable beauty of nature changing colors with seasons and the sigh of breeze in the pines can only be experienced at Yosemite Valley (Pronounced Yo-seh-mit-tea). Yosemite Valley is part of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This alpine valley offers incredible natural beauty and is just one mile in width and eight miles long with vertical granite walls rising above 2000 feet on either side. Nine ethereal waterfalls cascade into the valley. Wilderness hiking trails are as long as 800 miles.

The Niagara Falls – Ontario, Canada and New York, United States

Niagara Falls at Night

Niagara Falls State Park

Niagara up close

Massive and beautiful waterfalls on the Niagara River, they are also famous for being a source of hydroelectric power. These falls are divided into three drops; Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls on the American side. These falls are said to have been formed at the end of the last ice age. These waterfalls may not be the highest but are certainly wide and the most powerful in North America.

Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa

Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro Landscape

Mount Kilimanjaro

View at Mt Kilimanjaro

Ernest Hemingway described this mountain as, “as wide as all the world, great, high and unbelievably white,” in his book, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro.”

The roof of Africa as it is called is the world’s tallest free-standing mountain and a dormant stratovolcano. The Kibo Summit at the top of the mountain is one among the few peaks of Africa that still have glaciers.

Mamanuca Islands – Fiji

Aerial view Fiji Islands

Plantation Island Fiji

Tavarua Island

They are 20 islands in total. These beautiful islands of Mamanuca are varied; while some are small and can be walked around in a few minutes, others may take days to explore. For those who love nature and water bodies, these islands are a paradise with miles and miles of lilley snow white sand and beautiful turquoise blue beaches.

Sahara Sunset – Sahara Desert
Desert on Sunset

Desert on Sunset

Sahara Sunset

Sunset in the Desert

While the Sahara Desert is a wonderful place to see for the wide expanse of sand dunes, the sunset there is sure to take your breath away. A night spent camping on the sand dunes of this three-million year old desert, watching the sky change colors at dusk, is a dream come true for any nature lover.

Natural Springs and Limestone Cliffs of Pamukkale – Turkey

Pamukkale

Pamukkale Turkey

Pamukkale Turkey

The Turkish people call it the eighth wonder of the world and people who visit the place do not argue. Pamukkale is one of nature’s wonders, with hot pools and white cliffs. The water flowing down the cliffs has turned the place into an exotic white cotton color with stalactites and basins. This elaborate calcium formation is the largest of its kind, spreading miles and miles. The pristine surroundings are not only emotionally but physically cathartic. The water is believed to be therapeutic, curing various maladies. In spite of being filled with tourists, it still retains the old world charm and peace that we long for.

No comments:

Post a Comment